To Full Squat Or Not To Full Squat?

To Full Squat Or Not To Full Squat?

The complete squat is one of the most important body postures. Youngsters do it naturally. In certain cultures, it is a typical position for work, play, or just squatting during socialization.

On a personal note, my knees are not what they were 5 or 10 years ago. However, I am still able to do a full squat, even at 72 years old. I really believe that this is due to the many years of coaching basketball where I had to regularly demonstrate correct defensive posture, and also from playing full court basketball regularly up until about 5 years ago. Now, I only play half court.

The question, though, relates to whether or not doing full squats is really necessary for tip top conditioning, being healthy, etc.

To say the least, substantial reliance on contemporary footwear and seats has turned full squats into a body posture that lots of individuals have problems reaching, or are afraid to do due to concern for injury.

The complete squat can be described as a body posture where the knees are bent to a point where the back of the thighs lie adjacent to the calves with the heels staying flat on the ground. When they would like to reach for something near the floor, or hold themselves in a secure stooping position to take part in play, young kids – as stated previously – will go into a deep squat.

As we develop into adults, there is not a great need to get in a squatting position so we tend to lose the ability to do so. However, many cultures throughout history would rely on squatting as a way of resting, eating meals, or performing work. Modern western society has all but eliminated the requirement to squat in our daily lives.

Fortunately, many of the adverse effects brought on from squat avoidance are reversible. When performed correctly, the full squat carries many benefits for physical health. Squatting can be performed as a body weight exercise, to reach something on the ground, or simply as a rest position.

Health Advantages of the Full Squat

Flexibility in Ankles

A suitable squat, with the heels flat on the ground, needs great flexibility in the ankle. Getting into and keeping a full squat is a great strategy to bring back full range of motion and to improve ankle flexion and extension.

Less Back Pain

A lot of people have an abnormal curve in their lower back probably related to the pelvis being forced downward by certain muscle groups. During a full depth squat the pelvis rotates backward, allowing the back bones to increase in length. This extends the tight or shortened muscles in the low back. The body’s posture in a deep squat additionally generates space between the individual segments of the back, alleviating contact between individual vertebrae, thus reducing potential pain.

Stronger Hip Muscles

Have you noticed that the knees of some people tend to move inward or adduct, rotating internally as they walk or climb stairs? The knees at this abnormal angle or abducted position that are awkward, does not support the upper body properly, and may cause injuries.

The hips are moved by a full squat in the opposite position, abduction and external rotation. The squat strengthens the muscle groups responsible for performing these actions, enabling them to better control the position of the whole leg.

Tighter/Stronger Butt

The buttock is comprised mostly of the gluteus maximus, one of the largest muscles within the body. Without this large muscle, we would not be able to perform many common actions we do regularly, like running, weightlifting, walking, and lifting.

The glute max is, in addition, an important stabilizer muscle of the torso and leg. Scientific studies have shown that during a squat the glute muscles become targeted just after descending past the half way point. This means the same strengthening benefit cannot be attained from only squatting in a partial range of movement. Coming in and from a deep squat is definitely one of the most effective methods to make the glutes stronger. This is indeed difficult to do, but is also possible with proper practice and repetition.

Improved Body Posture

When restrictive joint mobility and reduced body strength in the lower body are improved the whole the entire body will have the ability to exhibit better alignment, which can have a tremendous impact on our appearance, confidence, disposition, and general health. The full squat is a way to change a number of the bad habits the body has acquired from our modern western culture.

How To Squat

Correctly performing a full depth squat can be a reasonable goal for anybody interesting in improving their fitness and is a sign of good freedom and strength.

Let us start off by having a glance at the body weight squat – before you add weight – the initial move you need to master.

The set up for the squat is not very complex. Your toes ought to be pointed slightly out – about 5 to 20 degrees out.

Look directly ahead and select a place on the wall before you. You will need to look only at that place the whole time you squat, not looking down in the ground or upwards in the ceiling.

In front of me, I place my arms out and parallel to the floor. Keep your back in a neutral location. Your back do not round, but also do not hyper extend and around accentuate the natural arch of your back.

Think about wherever your weight is on your feet – it needs to be on the balls of your feet as well as the heels, like you had been stuck to the bottom.

Keep your whole body tight the whole time.

Keep tour torso upward, as well as your back straight. Keep looking straight at that place on the wall.

Take a big breath, hold it and Squat down. Push your knees out while moving your hips back. Keep your lower back neutral. Concentrate on on pushing outside your knees. Ensure your knees are not in!

Squat down until your hips are below your knees. Thighs parallel to the floor isn’t low enough. You must break parallel.

After breaking parallel, it is time to stand back up! Squat back up under control keeping arms straight and eyes on the same spot on wall. Keep your knees out and chest up. Lock your hips and knees at the top. Breathe.

Drive your knees and squeeze your buttocks on top to ensure you are making use of your glutes.

How Squats Can Affect The Knees

Some people may have heard advice that performing a full squat is dangerous or bad for the knees. Squatting like most exercises carries a certain degree of risk, but the notion that squats hurt the knees is largely a myth.

The reason a full squat doesn’t hurt your knees is that a correctly-executed full squat is not really a knees-dependent action. The main movement occurs in the hip. If you squat down, your knees do bend, but they don’t have to take the majority of the stress or force. The hips are much better protected joints than the knees. The correct squat drives the hips back and the knees out to the side a little during the downward action. This puts the majority of the force or weight on the hips rather than the knees.

The full squat is not only safe for the knees, it strengthens the muscles that operate and protect the knees so effectively that nothing else even compares to it as a basic exercise for the lower body.

Conditioning and strengthening the leg muscles increases the muscles’ shock absorbing stability along with skill in the knee joint, thereby minimizing progress and the effects of arthritis.

When performed correctly, squatting is a safe exercise. In relatively good physical condition with no history of knee injuries and a person who’s healthy can do a full squat squat with nominal risk. When squatting, individuals having a history of knee injury have to give considerable thought to squatting correctly in order to decrease the pressure put on the knee joint. The power to do the full depth squat is an indication of great physical well-being.

Personally, I plan to continue doing squats as long as I possibly can, along with other exercise routines. It makes me feel better and stronger. Plus, I just enjoy working out. You never get too old to move your body.